Classic, Tough, and Fast: Trawlerman Rules Supreme in the Gold Cup

With William Buick at his brilliant best, the son of Golden Horn made every yard of the running, kicked clear to win by 7 lengths, and set a new record for the 2 1/2-mile trip

William Buick and Trawlerman, the Heroes of the 2025 Gold Cup / ROYAL ASCOT

A year after narrowly missing glory to the superstar Kyprios (Galileo), Trawlerman returned to the grueling G1 Gold Cup (2 1/2 miles, turf) at Royal Ascot and left no doubt this time. In an authoritative performance from gate to wire, the Golden Horn colt led throughout, quickened when asked, and powered away by 7 lengths, breaking the course record with a time of 4:15.20.

Under flawless guidance from William Buick, the Godolphin runner delivered an impeccable ride, one no rival could match in stamina. Though the promising juvenile Illinois (Galileo) briefly threatened in the stretch, he soon faded, finishing well behind, with Dubai Future (Dubawi) completing the podium another 7 lengths back.

This marked the fifth Gold Cup victory for trainer John Gosden, who previously triumphed with Stradivarius (Sea the Stars, 2018, 2019, 2020) and Courage Mon Ami (Frankel, 2023), working alongside his son Thady. The winning time shaved nearly two seconds off the previous record set by Rite of Passage (Giant’s Causeway) in 2010.

“Trawlerman just took off,” Gosden laughed. “I asked William what he did, and he said, ‘I just gave him the reins; he knows better than me how to set the pace.’ He’s a genuine stayer, and William managed him masterfully. When they turned into the straight and no one was coming, I knew it was over. He’s a sensational horse—part of the furniture now.”

Gosden added: “Last year, he matched strides with Kyprios. With Kyprios out this year, he deserved a win like this. We’ll take good care of him; he doesn’t need to run too much. He might return in the fall, and if all goes well, be back at the Gold Cup next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if his next start isn’t until the 2026 Henry II Stakes.”

Buick praised his mount: “He’s a great horse. We used the same strategy last year and were only beaten by a champion. Today was perfect. He traveled smoothly, controlled the tempo, and when it mattered, he had plenty left. In races like this, the last half-mile shows who truly stays—and that’s where he shines.”

On what the Gold Cup win means to him, the jockey said: “It’s one of the highlights of my career. It’s the most important staying race in the world, in the biggest week of the turf calendar.”

Aidan O’Brien, who trained runner-up Illinois, said: “The original plan was to run Kyprios this year and save Illinois for 2025. But after Kyprios got injured, plans changed and Illinois came here. We prepared him as a miler, aiming for the Coronation Stakes, so he’s not really a stayer yet. He tired in the last 400 meters, which was expected. We’ll head to Goodwood next, and believe he has plenty of room to improve.”

Third-place Dubai Future put in a strong effort, with trainer Saeed bin Suroor commenting: “It was a very good run. We may drop him back to 2,000 meters now, thinking about Goodwood. James [McDonald] gave him a patient ride, and as a son of Dubawi, he has speed. He’s a very versatile horse, winner over 2,000 and 2,400 meters. He keeps surprising us.”